Leave a Lasting Impression With a Birthday Card

If you’re brainstorming potential marketing promotions for the new year, consider birthday cards. With the decrease in snail mail, a printed birthday card can really stand out. Sending a birthday card says, “We care enough to remember your birthday, and we want to celebrate you!” Recipients often display their birthday cards, which means your message may hang around awhile, be seen by others and leave a lasting impression.

Here’s an example. Nymeo Federal Credit Union in Frederick, Maryland, worked with image.works to create an eye-catching pop-up birthday card to send to members when they turned 18. The card promoted relevant services and offered a $100 bonus when these members visited a branch and promoted Nymeo on social media. In the branch, Nymeo staff had the opportunity explain their services and further strengthen the credit union relationship. In nine months, 124 members received cards on their 18th birthday, and 16 recipients took the $100 offer – a response rate of 13%. According to Kristina Morgan at Nymeo, “The feedback has been exceptional! The mother of one member who received this offer reached out to us and said, ‘You now have a member for life!’”

Keep these tips in mind when sending a birthday card:

Personalize it. Include the recipient’s name. Consider having someone sign the card.

Make it attractive. It should look deserving of display alongside other birthday cards. image.works can create an attractive design that’s sure to be noticed, customized for your financial institution.

Consider a gift. Although it’s not necessary, it does make your card even more desirable. One option is a monthly birthday drawing, with the winner receiving a $10 gift card, a $10 deposit into savings or a donation to their favorite local charity. Another option is an incentive for visiting a branch and promoting your financial institution, as Nymeo did.

Keep address information updated. You’ll need to know where to send the cards, so be sure to regularly request updated information.

Send it early. Doing so shows that you thought ahead and were prepared. Plus, there will be time for it to be forwarded if the recipient moved recently.

Determine who is responsible for sending cards and when. Maybe you want to send birthday cards once a month or once a week. Having one person responsible and a consistent schedule will keep potential recipients from being forgotten.

If you’ve never done birthday cards or would like to make them even better, contact your image.works representative to get started today, before one more birthday goes by.